


You are a Fighter

by ZDcookie_996



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 18:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19818181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: The press gang up on Seb in the aftermath of the race. It's lucky he has a certain Finn to make him feel safe and secure.





	You are a Fighter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CustardCreamies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CustardCreamies/gifts).



> Hello everyone! I was away for the whole of June so I couldn't post anything and I apologise that this story has been written for a prompt practically a year too late. I'm so sorry. Taking inspiration from Austria as it's another race where things haven't looked good for Seb. I genuinely feel so sorry for him and the amount of pressure he's under. I don't know about anyone else but I feel like Ferrari are just brushing everything under the carpet. Obviously we don't know what's going on behind closed doors but whilst I doubt Seb is going to retire anytime soon, part of me thinks he'll be questioning his position in the team. I feel like the team aren't giving him full support but that's just my opinion. At the end of the day we're all human and we should be allowed to make mistakes. Hope you enjoy!

Sebastian couldn't believe it. Another race mucked up because of a stupid mistake. He made sure to apologise to the team and most importantly to Max. When he walked into the paddock he felt a sense of dread. People were questioning his driving ability. He didn't need social media to know what certain people were saying about him. Questions would now be asked about his position in the team. Charles was doing way better than he was. Calm and mature for his age but he was able to deal with the pressure. Could Sebastian handle it? Would he retire soon? These were the questions he knew would come up time and time again until he got it right. 

He made his way to a group of journalists and the looks they gave him made him want to just disappear and not have to worry about his responsibilities. 

"Sebastian, do you take full responsibility for your crash with Max Verstappen?" A journalist asked.

Seb tried not to glare at the journalist, almost asking if they had heard his radio message to the team.

"Yes I admit that I misjudged the breaking point. I didn't expect to be right up the back of him. I apologised to the team and Max. If I could take it back I would but unfortunately I can't." He responded.

"Does this show that you are cracking under pressure?" Someone else asked.

"No." Seb replied quietly.

When no further response came, another journalist butted in:

"Seb, there's now only three points in the standings between yourself and your teammate, are you worried that your position as number one driver will be given to Charles?"

"You'll have to ask the team. It's not for me to say." Answered Seb, trying to hide how much these few questions were kicking him in the chest.

"It's just that he's been performing better than you in a lot of the past few races. Are you not concerned that there will be a repeat of 2014 where your teammate will be ahead of you?" Another blunt question asked.

"Charles is doing a great job, he's felt comfortable in the car. It's just not working out for me. Like yesterday the car just didn't feel great." Said Seb, weakly.

"Seb, is this your way of trying to make excuses for the fact that you don't have as quick a car as your teammate does." A journalist questioned whilst also attempting to shove a microphone right into Seb's face. 

The German glared at the man. Britta who was standing beside him didn't look very impressed either but she stayed quiet. 

"I think we can tell that Mercedes has the quickest car at the moment." Seb replied angrily.

"You didn't answer my question." The man answered, impatiently.

"What do you want me to say? I've given you an answer." Said the German who was trying to keep his temper in check.

He turned to look to Britta as if to say that they should leave until it appeared that the crowd was starting to get bigger. They all started to ask questions at the same time and Seb couldn't listen anymore. He tried to drown out the words.

Retire

Mistakes

Experienced driver

Britta was trying her best to try and calm the crowd down but they paid her no attention. For their attention was fully on Sebastian Vettel who by now was starting to feel claustrophobic even though the journalists were trapped behind barriers. He felt like everything was closing around him. He couldn't breathe. Tears started to build up in the corners of his eyes but he held them back. He was not going to cry in front of everyone. Weak. The dreaded word he had heard many a time before. That he was weaker than Lewis Hamilton. That Hamilton was the better driver. 

He was in his own little bubble of doubt when a hand wrapped around his arm. Turning to his left, he was shocked to see none other than his boyfriend, Kimi standing by his side. The Finn didn't have his sunglasses on and so his eyes bore straight into Seb's soul. He opened his mouth to speak until Kimi reached in front of his boyfriend so that he could look Britta in the eye.

"We're going." He said, voice as cold as ice trying to convey how serious he was that Seb shouldn't stay there any longer.

Britta gave a slight nod before letting Kimi lead Seb out of the press pen. He had dropped his hand from Seb's arm before turning them around and placing his hand on Seb's back to let him know that he was there for him whilst making their way to the Ferrari motorhome. The sounds around Seb were muffled. He could only make out his name. People were trying to grab his attention. There were photographers trying to take pictures. He knew in this moment of weakness that they would come back like vultures in Germany but he blocked them out. Instead he focused on the feeling of Kimi's hand on his back. Kimi. Kimi was there with him.

Seb made it to his cool down room feeling drained as he dropped his cap on the floor. Kimi was still behind him at the door as he turned to Britta.

"I'll deal with the team. Take care of him." She said, quietly before leaving the pair.

Kimi shut the door and turned around to face his boyfriend. Seb was standing with his back to the Finn as he faced the wall. Slowly he walked up to it as tears began to burn in his eyes. He let out a sob before punching the wall with both hands in a fit of anger and anguish. Kimi rushed forward and wrapped his arms around the German, pulling him back from the wall. Seb turned sharply in his arms, his eyes already red. He stared at his boyfriend before he started sobbing and before long his knees buckled which would have sent him crashing to the floor had Kimi not reached out with strong arms to hold his boyfriend against his chest whilst he leaned back against the wall. Kimi wondered when it would happen. When his boyfriend would give in to all the emotion he was holding back. It was ten times worse at Ferrari now that Charles was Seb's teammate. The pair knew that eventually Charles would be a future champion. Kimi was just praying that they wouldn't throw his boyfriend under the bus. That's why he had wanted out. He just wanted to race. He couldn't do that at Ferrari. Kimi shut his eyes as he took in a deep breath and opened them, turning to lift Seb's head from where he had been crying into the Finn's chest so he could look at him. Seb's sobbing had drawn out into gulping and the German looked tired.

Before Kimi could utter a word, the younger man spoke up first.

"I'm sorry." He stuttered.

Kimi frowned. "Why are you sorry? What have you got to be sorry for?" He whispered.

"Because I'm useless. You shouldn't have to deal with me." Seb responded whilst letting out another sob.

The Finn leant forward pressing his forehead against the German's as his thumbs started to stroke Seb's cheeks.

"You listen to me. You are a four time world champion. You don't give up and you certainly don't listen to those idiots outside. They don't know you. They don't know how strong you are." Whispered the Finn.

"Kimi." Seb let out a snuffle as more tears started to gather in his eyes.

"I won't let you give up. Not now. We're in this together."

Seb gave him a weak smile and a sniffed again before moved so that he was resting against Kimi's chest once more. His boyfriend wrapped strong arms around Seb as he rested his chin on top of his head. He knew that the doubts and the feelings inside of Seb's head wouldn't go away automatically but he promised himself that he would be there to pick him back up again when he fell and cheer him on when he did well. He knew that Seb would fight back from this but he had to believe in himself. Seb's snuffles eventually stopped and was replaced by slow breathing as his tired and wary body fell asleep held in the arms of a man who knew him for who he was.

Kimi placed a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead and sighed:

"You'll come back from this, Seb. You always do. I believe in you."

**Author's Note:**

> Not going to lie I couldn't watch the post race interviews so this is my view and my story, please remember this is all fiction as I clearly can't read Seb's mind either to know what he is thinking.


End file.
